• Spot clean. (You should have cleaned everything last week when you moved furniture!)

• Finish all food and beverage shopping.

• Prepare cold foods.

• Make desserts.

• Place flowers in buckets so they stay fresh overnight.

• Place décor: lay tablecloths; set out serving pieces, dishes, and glassware; position vases, votives, and favors. Complete and place signage.

• Enlist help for tomorrow if you don’t have it already.

• At the end of the day make a list for tomorrow.

If you can’t take the day before the party off, you must be sure that you have already cleaned and implemented any tricky décor elements in advance. Especially signage. Signage is an art, and you must not do it under pressure. Do all your food shopping and as much food prep as possible the night before.